Although tortillas have long been considered a tasty and nutritious food product, their popularity has increased dramatically in recent years. The preparation of a tortilla typically involves bulk mixing of the tortilla dough, dividing the dough into balls of dough of equal proportions, forming a round tortilla from the ball of dough, and toasting or baking the tortilla. Furthermore, each step in this process typically requires a separate piece of equipment. As illustrated by the prior art discussed hereinbelow, various types of apparatus have been designed for the purpose of forming and heating a tortilla shaped product.
The present invention provides a compact, tortilla press and oven unit which divides the dough, forms a tortilla therefrom, and thereafter toasts each side of the formed tortilla at least once. The tortilla press forms a tortilla from a ball or portion of dough received from a depositor and delivers the formed tortilla to the oven wherein it is toasted. The oven comprises a plurality of horizontal toasting discs in vertical alignment and rotatable about a vertical shaft. The formed tortilla is initially received by a first or uppermost oven disc upon which a first side of the tortilla is partially toasted. Upon completion of one revolution of the first disc with the tortilla thereon, the tortilla is removed therefrom by a first fixed scraper. A second rotatable oven disc beneath the first oven disc thereafter receives the tortilla from the first disc by means of a fixed slide intermediate to the first and second discs. The fixed slide receives the tortilla from the first disc after it is removed therefrom by the first fixed scraper and allows the tortilla to flip or turn over, thereby allowing the second disc to receive and partially toast the second side of the tortilla. Upon completion of one revolution of the second disc with the tortilla thereon, the tortilla is removed therefrom by a second fixed scraper. The toasting of the first and second sides of the tortilla is thereafter preferably completed by a third and fourth oven disc, respectively, which are in vertical alignment with the first and second discs. The toasting of the tortilla is completed in a similar fashion as described hereinabove prior to the removal thereof from the fourth disc by a fourth fixed scrapper. The toasted tortilla is thereafter received by an exit conveyor and removed from the oven.
The method for toasting a tortilla within the invention oven comprises the steps of toasting a first side of the tortilla on a first rotatable disc, removing the tortilla from the first disc by means of a fixed scraper, allowing the tortilla to turn over by means of a fixed slide, and toasting a second side of the tortilla on a second rotatable disc. The process may thereafter be repeated using a third and fourth rotatable disc in order to assure complete toasting of each side of the tortilla. The invention press and oven is able, therefore, to provide a compact unit wherein a tortilla may be formed and thereafter toasted in a fixed sequence by a plurality of rotatable discs.